Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I call Mr. O'Keeffe again, I wish to ask a number of questions. The dire humanitarian situation persists in Syria, notwithstanding an element of there being less of a ground conflict in recent times. I read over the weekend that Damascus is now regarded in certain quarters as being a relatively peaceful city. If that is the case - I am not sure that it is - it certainly cannot be said of areas in the north-west of the country, in particular Idlib. Perhaps one of the witnesses could give us an outline of the current situation in Idlib.

I note that once again arrangements are being set in place for a donor conference. Before the end of the month we will have our fifth Brussels donor conference. To what extent are donors being influenced by a lack of political process and a lack of political reform? What is likelihood of an element of donor fatigue given that we have now reached the tenth anniversary? Many donor conferences have taken place before and the pledges were high. The situation on the ground probably did not match that. How might a cycle of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction feed into an element of donor fatigue? How can that be best dealt with by governments, acknowledging, as many our guests have said, an onus on Ireland, particularly during our membership of the Security Council, to provide a position of leadership on this issue?